Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Did Arabs and Jews live in peace in 19th century Palestine?
from the Elders of Zion Blog
I saw once again today the assertion, in an academic paper, that Arabs and Jews lived quite well together in the late 19th century in Palestine.
I looked at the footnote and it refers to a 2014 paper by Menachem Klein, which brings an impressive amount of evidence for cooperation between the Jews of Palestine and the Arabs, including Arabic words that became part of Palestinian Yiddish and Yiddish words that became part of Arabic, as well as evidence of the groups working together, even politically, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Whenever I read this sort of thing, I wonder how this jives with anecdotal evidence of derision and insults from Arabs to Jews in the 19th century. For example, John MacGregor published in 1870 that "Men in Palestine call their fellows 'Jew' as the very lowest of all possible words of abuse."
In an 1824 letter from Rev. W. B. Lewis to the London Society, he writes, "Jerusalem is truly miserable, groaning under the tyranny of the oppressor. Jews...are subject to daily insults, and are shamefully and inhumanly oppressed." He then gives page after page of examples of Muslims treating Jews like garbage, stealing from them, the Ottoman authorities falsely accusing Jews and their Rabbinic leaders of petty crimes and torturing them and extorting obscene sums of money as fines. (See below)
James Finn, the British consul to Jerusalem from 1846-1863, says that Jerusalem Jews were forced to bury their dead at night: - "the usual practice is to pay the gate-keeper to let them out of the town in the middle of the night, and this from fear of having the dead disinterred by Moslems or Christians."
There were pogroms against Jews in 1834 in Hebron and Safed, in 1837 in Safed again, and in 1847 a Jewish boy was accused of a blood libel in Jerusalem.
How can we reconcile the stories of Arab abuse of and attacks on Jews in Palestine with the academics who claim that Jews and Arabs lived so cooperatively?
It appears that before the 1840s, the Jews were indeed treated like dirt. Then things started changing.
The reason is that the increasing number of European Jews could appeal to their own governments for protection, starting in that decade. Different European powers even competed for influence in the Ottoman Empire and protecting Jews gave them more power.
Oddly, in 1848 the Russians told their Jewish subjects that they would no longer be protected, and the British consul stepped in to be their protector. This protection made it much harder for Jews to be routinely harassed by the Arabs - being backed by European powers suddenly gave the Jews powers they hadn't had beforehand.
Only after the Jews came under the protection of European states did the Arabs start to treat the Jews with more respect. The Ottoman leaders were no longer able to mistreat most of their Jewish subjects out of fear of creating an international incident.
It is an old story:
Arabs respect power. When Jews were powerless, Arabs treated them like garbage. Only when they had some protection did the Arabs start to "live with them together in peace." Did the Arabs suddenly become philosemitic? Of course not. But they were practical: The Jews couldn't be attacked with impunity anymore.
And that is the story of Israel in a nutshell. When Israel acts weak, it invites Arab (now, Palestinian) derision and attacks. Acting strong is the only formula for peace. It isn't a peace based on love or friendship, but a peace based on respect.
It is no different now than in was 200 years ago.
(Some information here comes from Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine: Two Worlds Collide, by Alan Dowty.)
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Here are excerpts of the 1924 letter from W. B. Lewis with many examples of Arab oppression of Jews, most first-hand:
New York Slimes Walks Back False Report on Gaza Fishing Industry
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| New York Times Anti-semitic Cartoon |
The New York Times has published an editor’s note correcting its false report that Gaza’s fishing industry is on the verge of collapse due to an Israeli blockade of the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave.
Using official Palestinian statistics, the media watchdog group Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) proved to the Times that the claim is false. CAMERA provided information indicating that the fishermen have more than doubled their annual catch in the last 15 years. In addition, the number of registered fishing boats has also more than doubled, according to Tamar Sternthal, director of CAMERA’s Israel’s office.
In a Nov. 27 article, “Amid Israeli Blockade on Gaza a Fishing Fleet Limps Along,” Times correspondent Raja Abdulrahim claimed the Israeli blockade has been “devastating for the Gaza Strip’s fishing industry.”
But CAMERA refuted the claim and provided the Times with research data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics disproving the false statement.
On Dec. 3, the Times printed the editor’s note acknowledging the article omitted important context, leaving the impression that the industry has been devastated. “The current catch is higher than that in the early years of the blockade,” the note reads.
“CAMERA staff are doing the basic research that Times staff should be doing themselves,” stated Andrea Levin, executive director and president of CAMERA. “Abdulrahim’s story claiming Gaza’s fishing industry is collapsing falls completely apart when you look at the facts. But the Times’ impulse to run with any storyline blaming Israel subverts ethical reporting norms and leads again and again to these blunders.”
Dems Secure Senate Majority as Anti-Israel Warnock Wins Georgia
Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock on Tuesday beat Republican Herschel Walker by a margin of 51.3% to 48.7% in a runoff election, becoming the first full-term first Black senator from Georgia. Warnock, a Methodist pastor, and Medicaid activist, initially won his seat in a 2020 special election, defeating incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler. His win gave the Democrats 50 of the Senate seats, and they ruled the chamber with the help of Vice President Kamala Harris who is the president of the Senate.
Chaidie Leaders of Meron now Attempting to Shift Blame on Police
The senior officers said it will take time because of the huge crowd to get through!
Why not focus on the actual issue of how FRUM leaders allowed this to happen to begin with?!?! They were warned of the potential disaster but, as usual, they knew better! They have blood on their hands!
In newly released recordings of police discussions which occurred during the hour prior to the Meron disaster in 2021, police can be heard warning their superiors of an impending catastrophe.
Israel’s Kan news revealed the jarring recordings from the half hour preceding the tragic disaster in which 45 people were trampled to death. Reporter Moshe Steinmetz says that the recording demonstrates that the Meron tragedy was not only the result of poor infrastructure and overcrowding, but was also a huge tactical failure on the part of police senior officials, who were warned by their subordinates that the situation was dangerous and they needed more backup forces but did not provide the necessary reinforcements to close the deadly bottleneck at the Dov bridge.
At 12:14 police officers at the bridge said that “its getting very crowded here, there are huge gatherings, people are jostling, come here now.” A similar warning was issued at 12:22, more than 20 minutes before the catastrophe. The warnings became more urgent as the catastrophe grew closer, and the local police headquarters queried what was going on. The police answered that they needed urgent backup, asking: Where are the sleeping officers?” Police further up at the Kohanim porch also noticed the unusual crush and asked for backup to close the porch and stop the masses from exiting the area.
One of the senior officers attempted to calm the juniors, stating “its because of the Hadlakah [Toldos Aharon] it will take at least another half an hour.” The police at the Kohanim porch succeeded belatedly in stopping people from descending but it was too late for the masses near the Dov bridge, who were already being crushed as they attempted to descend. The senior officers were still asking why reinforcements were needed while the juniors said that the entrances needed to be closed because “people are trampling one another.”
Naftali Bennett Sues Rabbi Who Claimed His Parents Are Not Jewish
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett has filed a 1 million shekel lawsuit against a rabbi who falsely claimed that Bennett’s parents, Myrna and Jim, were not Jewish.
The defamation lawsuit alleges that the false claims and “appalling epithets and curses” were seen by hundreds of thousands of people. The rabbi has more than 150,000 followers on social media.
In “sermons” posted online, he falsely claimed that Bennett’s mother underwent a Reform conversion in the US, and that he is “worse than a dog,” who is at least loyal.
To illustrate how widespread the claim was, Bennett pointed out that Google users search for his mother are suggested by algorithm to add the words “Christian” or “convert .
Bennett said that his mother, Myrna — whose parents come from generations of Jews, some of whom “were murdered in the Holocaust for being Jewish” — received “many inquiries over the past year in regard to doubts about her Judaism,” which “brought her great pain and sadness.”
Bennett said that damages he receives from the lawsuit will be donated to organizations that assist the families of fallen IDF soldiers.
One million shekel is equal to over $292,000.
Monday, December 5, 2022
UTJ said to request full authority at Meron, site of disaster So they can Cover-up the Faults of the Chareidie Leaders
Years before this tragedy, police were warning the Chareidie Askanim and leaders that this Meron was a "tragedy waiting to happen" but the Rebbes refused to listen and in fact fought tooth and nail not to have any police supervision of Meron. They called it "Zionist Intervention."
All public places where the police are in control, places like the Kotel, Kever Rachel, Mearas Ha'Machpeilah etc are basically places that crowds can safely enter and exit.
We don't really know what happened at Meron, but now we will never find out. The families of the victims must sue every one of these Chassidishe Rebbes in court so that maybe just maybe we would get some of the truth out.
Chareidim blamed the police and it could be that police did have a hand in this tragedy but now we will never know,
United Torah Judaism MK Meir Porush has requested full responsibility over Mount Meron, a significant religious site in the Upper Galilee, including implementing recommendations made by a committee investigating the deadly disaster during Lag B’Omer festivities there last year, according to a Sunday report.
The Haredi party lawmaker made the request during coalition talks with the Likud party, the Walla news site reported.
Citing sources involved in the talks, the report said the ultra-Orthodox lawmaker wants responsibility over any changes to be made as a result of the findings of the government committee probing the tragic crush at the site in 2021 — which left 45 people dead and more than 150 injured.
Rabbi Dr. Ahron Twersky Predicts Agudah Will Become ‘Irrelevant’ Due to Not Representing Chassidim
Interesting!
So Chassidim are not happy with their own organizations and now want to take control of the Aguda as well.
Have you ever seen a Litvisher Gadol in the Eida Hachreidis?
And how come when the good Dr. Twersky mentioned all the Chassidic groups, he leaves out Chabad? I guess Chabad is only good when they need a hot lunch when they travel.
Dr Twersky is correct when he says that the Aguda will become irrelevant in two or three years but not because they don't have any Chassidim on the Moetzes Torah Hagdolah, they are irrelevant because they are out of touch with the "hamoin am"
If the Chassidim would join, you would no longer recognize the Aguda.
Dr Twersky is not being genuine, he knows that Bobov was never part of Agudah, Satmar hates any organization that they cannot control, same with Chabad. Satmar is also opposed to the Daf HaYoimie, a big Aguda program.
Dr. Twersky also knows it not practical to appoint Chassidishe Rebbes on the Moetzes. If you appointed Bobover 48, Bobov 45 would scream. Let's for argument's sake say that Satmar would join, so who would you appoint? R' Zalman Leib or R' Aron? His whole speech was a waste of time, and the listeners will never get those 20 minutes back.
Jaw-dropper: At @AgudahNews convention panel on antisemitism, Rabbi prof. Aaron Twersky reprimanded umbrella group for excluding Hasidic members & causing division, calling it “shameful.”
— Jacob Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) December 2, 2022
Twersky predicted “Agudath Israel will become irrelevant to Klal Yisroel” in a few years 💥 pic.twitter.com/SmA5VBMOIt
While appearing at a panel about antisemitism at the Agudah Convention Friday, Rabbi Dr. Ahron Twerski spoke out against the lack of Chassidic representation within the Agudah in recent years.
He said, “I used to come to Agudah conventions and feel comfortable…because there was a Chassidishe olam…for the last ten years we have been uninvited, not formally, but uninvited. The problem starts because Chassidim are not represented on the Moetzes Gedolei Torah.”
He called it “shameful” and said “there’s no excuse for it.”
Dr. Twersky predicted that “Agudath Israel will become irrelevant to Klal Yisroel” in a few years
The always gracious and even-tempered Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel responded. He first joked about how this proves that the Agudah carefully censors each speaker’s speech in advance. He then thanked Dr/ Twersky for raising the issue, and assured the audience that it is being addressed.
Turtle that lived during the times of R' Akiva Eiger & Chasam Sofer Celebrates its 190th Birthday
Jonathan the tortoise celebrated his 190th birthday as he extends his run as the longest-living land animal in the world.
Jonathan first arrived in his current home on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic in 1882 as a gift to the governor of the island, which is a British territory. At that time, he was thought to already be 50 years old.
Now notching 190 years on Earth, Jonathan is 48 inches long, the same size as when he arrived on the island. His species of tortoise reaches full maturity by 50, providing the best estimate for his age, even though some naturalists believe he could be even older.
Despite his long life, he only gained international attention in 2008 when The Independent reported on his then-remarkable age of 176.
Locals speculated as to why Jonathan has lived so long, exceeding the expected life of his breed, the Seychelles Giant tortoise, which is 150 years old.
Jonathan was five years old when Queen Victoria – Britain’s second-longest reigning monarch – took the throne, and he outlived both World Wars. He is older than the first photograph and has lived through the administrations of 39 US presidents.
Locals organized a number of events to celebrate Jonathan’s birthday, culminating in a three-day celebration.
Estimated to have been born in 1832, Jonathan has lived most of his life at the governor’s plantation house, according to the island’s website, which adds that Jonathan could arguably serve as a national symbol for the island. Jonathan’s image even adorns the backside of a St. Helena 5 pence coin.
Scientists have even studied Jonathan to determine what health benefits they might glean from his diet and his cells. Because his cells do not mutate the same way the cells of humans do, scientists hope he could reveal some secret to fighting cancer in humans.
Jonathan shares his home with three other tortoises: Emma, a 54-year-old female; David, a 54-year-old male; and Frederika, formerly Fredrik, a 31-year-old tortoise originally thought to be male but now thought to be female. The first two arrived in 1969, and Frederika arrived in 1991.
Jonathan last year surpassed the previous record-holder for oldest living land animal, a Madagascar tortoise named Tu’I Malila, who was gifted to the Tonga royal family in 1777 and died in 1965 at the age of 188 years old, according to Smithsonian magazine.
Sunday, December 4, 2022
BAT OUT OF HELL
Alarming video shows a belligerent attacker pulling a baseball bat from his pants and hitting an unsuspecting man in the back of the head on a Manhattan sidewalk.
The 47-year-old victim is knocked to the ground and the unknown attacker is seen angrily yelling over him as he lies on the sidewalk in front of 1770 Amsterdam Ave. in Hamilton Heights Tuesday at 8:06 a.m., according to the video released Saturday by the NYPD.
It’s not clear if the two had any interaction before the attack but the assailant appears to be targeting the man and glances at his face before pulling out the weapon. Police are now asking for the public’s help identifying the assailant.
The video clip released by authorities shows the attacker fiddling with the bat in his pants with the handle covered by a hooded sweatshirt. He walks behind his intended target and nearly passes him, glancing over at his face.
At that moment, a third man walks in the opposite direction between the two and the attacker turns toward the street and stops, seeming to wait for the bystander to pass before he takes out the bat. He takes a hard swing at the victim, who tumbles to the ground and rolls around in pain.
The attacker turns and walks away, visibly furious, and appears to yell back at the victim. The bat-wielding man then returns and yells at the victim, appearing to stomp him at one point before leaving again.
The attacker was last seen in a hooded sweatshirt with “Nike” on the front, gray sweatpants and black sneakers. The victim suffered a laceration and bruising and was taken by ambulance to NYC Health and Hospitals/Harlem in stable condition, the NYPD said.
Cops are asking anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/.
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